Florida is not exactly known for its hiking. The state is extremely flat and much of it is under water. Combine that with the summer heat and mosquitoes and it isn't the place people flock to hit the trail. But, there are some hidden gems where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy a jaunt through sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, and pine forests. But, if you are more of a casual tourist looking for a short, easy hike that offers amazing views of wildlife and a taste of the Everglades, then the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Loop are the place for you.

Florida Gar in the canal

If solitude is what you are looking for, then this isn't the place. It is one of the most popular tourists spots in the Everglades due to its short distance, ease of seeing wildlife, and the fact that it is the first stop on the main road after the visitor center. But, as with most places, if you get an early enough start, you can still have the place to yourself. If you arrive at 8am or so, most of the tourists will still be at their hotel in Homestead having breakfast. To get here, simply drive into Everglades National Park on the main road and at the first turnoff after the visitor center turn left. It is clearly labeled. Drive to the end of the road. There is a small visitor center/gift shop and restrooms at both trailheads.

Marsh at end of the boardwalk with anhinga drying its wings (left)

The Anhinga Trail is a 0.4 mile roundtrip that starts off following an old road bed, with a canal dug out to provide the limestone road bed material. These are known as "borrow pits" since they needed to borrow the land to pile up enough material to make a dry road in an otherwise flooded landscape. These borrow pits are a great place to look for alligators, Florida gar, and turtles.

Alligator hanging out in the lily pads

During the dry season, when much of the water disappears from the surrounding sawgrass prairies, much of the wildlife will congregate here in the deeper waters of the pits. Thus, this area will have an extremely high concentration of animals.The trail follows the road bed and canal, with many birds just hanging out along the edges of it, then arrives at a boardwalk loop that will take you out into the marsh.

Green-backed heron

The boardwalk enters a wetland dominated by willows, pond apples, and cattails. The pond apples are obvious as large fruit hanging from trees with large prop-roots. While edible, they are not really considered tasty. Although it is said the alligators like them. There will be a myriad of birds along the way including lots of double-crested cormorants, anhinga drying their wings, various egret and heron species, and alligators lazily cruising across the ponds. Bring your binoculars, telephoto lens, and bird ID book!

Gumbo Limbo is also known as the tourist tree or sunburn tree due to its red peeling bark

Upon completing the boardwalk loop and returning to the visitor center, loop for the 0.8 mile Gumbo Limbo Trail. This trail is an entirely different habitat, as it is a tropical hardwood hammock. Elevated a foot or two above the surrounding sawgrass prairies, the trees here can get their roots out of the water. Here the habitat is that of a dense forest, containing many tree species of tropical origin, such as its namesake the Gumbo Limbo tree, as well as, West Indian mahogany, poisonwood, royal palms, and many others.

A rare royal palm rises above the hardwood hammock

The trail offers a cornucopia of plant species to look at, a lot of different forest birds that are both of tropical/Caribbean origin and familiar northern migrants who are spending the winter in Florida. Along the way, there will be holes in the exposed limestone surface filled with water. These are called "solution holes" and they form when acids from the decaying leaves eat into the limestone. During the dry season, these become homes for young alligators, fish, and other animals seeking water.

Walking down the Gumbo Limbo Trail

Since mosquitoes prefer shady locations during the heat of the day, these hammocks are a refuge for them. Thus, during the dry season, if there are any mosquitoes anywhere, this is where you will find them. There were not too many of them in December and they didn't bother us too much as long as you kept moving. It was only when I stopped to take a picture of some bird or interesting plant that I would hear than infamous whine in my ear.

A tri-colored heron

If you make a visit to Everglades National Park, then the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail are a must see along the way. The hike is not long, but Florida sure knows how to pack in a lot of beauty and wildlife into a small area. Visit in the dry season when the mosquitoes, heat, and humidity are at a minimum. But, realize that that is when everyone else is going. So, get an early start to beat the crowds and you will not be disappointed.

They're non-stop and great, exciting action. More, its mission based game play and open ended planet is perfect for a handheld's medium.Everyone that has read my posts also knows my love for video games.

The first thing that you will notice with ecigarette users is their oral wellness.Our original list contained about 10 cheap cigarettes. The user can smoke at hospitals, airports and at any place without any being restricted.

Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO? I'm trying to geet my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not seeing very good success. If you know of any pleasze share.Many thanks!

Here are five places you can advertise your small business online for free without actually placing an ad. Basically, you can attract traffic by means of online tools like blogs,which will improve your marketing offline. A skilled SEO campaigner knows to ease out a complex site and re-structure it to suit real users as well as search engines.

A sensible way to enjoy dietary advantages of fruits and vegetables is by juicing. The next report gives you some extremely helpful information about how to make juicing an integral part of your dietary regimen for healthful and tasty benefits.

The courses have arrived and already students are raving about their results. He teaches people that being a leader is a choice you make for yourself, now. If you keep in mind that Mike was not always a success, you can find that his strategy improved him and it can improve you.

I lloved аs much as you'll receivе carried out right here.Thе sketch is attractive, ʏour authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you comand get goot an shakiness oger tɦat you wixh be deliveгing the following. unwell unquestionably сome more formerly again as exxаctly the same nearly a llot often inside case үou shield this hіke.

There are many occasional parties where you want to have leisure but you don’t have partner. Hence, you truly feel for one to hang out with. You do feel to show people

too have; and in this way you would have offered your consent to the right kind of cheap indore escorts. cheap indore escorts has always provided such type of assistance. Hundreds of people would think that they have

nothing to worry about but then they can look to people who can provide them the required assistance.cheap indore escorts have always wished the best.Indore has become the centre where you will get the right kind of cheap indore escorts.

by: www.alatbantusexterbaru.comHello sir, after I read the article you get to the bottom, It is very interesting to look at, it can provide benefits, and also the lessons, I really like it.so that I can remember with this master page and be back here, I leave a trail so that I could track my trail I have ever visitalat bantu sex priaalat bantu sex wanitaI apologize if I trace unfavorable.

i really like your web internet site very plenty thank you to your talk about approximately.all the imformation are beneficial for me, i can come again.Please evaluate out right here:Gurgaon Escorts | Escorts in Gurgaon

Just Giving Back For All To Enjoy

Why pay money to buy hiking books? Why pay fees to view trail websites? By searching my archives and checking back often to see new posts, we are sure you will be able to find the hike that is right for you ... and for free!

In addition, we provide fascinating ecological and geological information to make the hikes informative and fun. As former National Park Rangers, we know how to find the right hike for you. So, if you are on vacation, we will provide you with the hike you absolutely MUST do while in an area. Do not go on vacation without checking out this site!

About The Hikemasters

The Hikemasters have visited 48 states and 16 different countries in recent years. They enjoy exploring remote wilderness areas and historic and ancient sites. Descriptions and directions to many of the hikes they have done are posted here.